Aflatoxins in Domestic and Imported Foods and Feeds

Abstract

Aflatoxins, metabolic products of the molds Aspergillus flams and A. parasiticus, may occur in foods and feeds. These toxins cannot be entirely avoided or eliminated from foods or feeds by current agronomic and manufacturing processes and are considered unavoidable contaminants. To limit aflatoxin exposure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set action levels for these toxins in foods and feeds involved in interstate commerce. FDA continually monitors food and feed industries through compliance programs. This report summarizes data generated from compliance programs on aflatoxins for the fiscal year 1986. Commodities sampled included peanuts and peanut products, corn and corn products, tree nuts, cottonseed, milk, spices, manufactured products, and miscellaneous foods and feeds. Correlations were highest between aflatoxin contamination and geographical areas for corn/corn products and cottonseed/cottonseed meal. Higher incidences of aflatoxin contamination in corn and corn products designated for human consumption were observed in samples collected in the southeastern states (32 and 28%, respectively). A higher incidence of contamination was observed in corn designated for animal feed from Arkansas-Texas (74%) than from the southeastern states (47%). Only 3% of feed corn from corn belt states contained detectable aflatoxins. All aflatoxin-contaminated cottonseed was collected in the Arizona-California area; 80% of cottonseed meal analyzed from this area also contained detectable levels of aflatoxins. No aflatoxin Mi was detected in any of the 182 samples of fluid milk and milk products examined. The percentage of samples that contain measurable levels of aflatoxins is expected to vary with commodities from year to year; thus, the 1986 information can be used as a baseline for comparison to determine the effectiveness of control efforts exerted by the food and feed industries.

Aflatoxin Contamination in Nutmeg: Analysis of Interfering TLC Spots

“…Awe and Schranz (1981) also found the incidence of aflatoxin contamination was highest in red pepper and ginger. Contamination of nutmeg with aflatoxins has been reported (Suzuki, 1973;Beljaars et al, 1975: Tabata andKamimura, 1988;Wood, 1989).…”

“…Aflatoxins were the most common contaminant in most samples of spices such as turmeric, coriander, fennel, black pepper, greater cardamon, cumin and chili, and levels were higher than the prescribed limit for human consumption. Wood (1989) reported 19% of the spices such as chili, ginger and nutmeg, imported from 19 countries into the US in 1986, contained measurable aflatoxins. Awe and Schranz (1981) also found the incidence of aflatoxin contamination was highest in red pepper and ginger.…”

“…CONTAMINATION of nutmeg (Semen myristicae) with aflatoxins has been reported by Suzuki et al (1973), Beljaars et al (197.Q Tabata and Kamimura (1988) and Wood (1989). Aflatoxins were detected in high percentages of samples, and their concentrations were often high.…”

Detoxification of Aflatoxin B1 in Red Pepper (Capsicum annuum L .) by Ozone Treatment and Its Effect on Microbiological and Sensory Quality

“…Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium species can produce mycotoxins in varying amounts depending on the ambient conditions. A large number of studies have been carried out determination of AFB 1 content in several countries such as the USA (Wood 1989 (Mupunga et al 2014). In these countries, AFB 1 levels in foodstuff were 0-30, >25, 10-100, 2-32, 8-59, >5, 3.5-80, 5-144.4, 0-623, 0.1-73.8 were far above the legal limits (Wood 1989;Shamsuddin et al 1995;Martins et al 2001;Reddy et al 2001;Sekiyama et al 2005;Aydın et al 2007;Basaran and Bektas 2010;Demircioglu and Filazi 2010;Roy et al 2013;Charoenpornsook and Kavisarasai 2014;Mupunga et al 2014).…”

Effect of aluminosilicates and bentonite on aflatoxin‐induced developmental toxicity in rat

“…100 ppb), in a variety of food crops and foods such as peanut butter and other peanut products, breakfast cereals, corn and cornmeal, dairy products and other processed foods. 3,4 Aflatoxin B 1 has been reported to exert its liver-specific carcinogenicity by inducing a guanine (a purine) to thymine (a pyrimidine) substitution at codon 249 on the p53 gene. 5,6 The interference of AFB 1 with prenatal development has been reported in mice, 7 hamsters 8 and rats.…”